the first debate between >> the first debate between barack obama special mitt romney is just four days away. while they are preparing for the showed own in denver on monday, their runningmates are in the battleground states. >> reporter: president obama and mitt romney were out in the public eye today, as they get ready for their first debate this wednesday. so the campaign trail duties fell to their runningmates. vice-president biden stumped in florida for a second consecutive day. he slammed republicans and the bush administration for the skyrocketing deficit. >> by the time the reins got turned over to barack and me, they had doubled the national debt in 8 years. >> reporter: with his path to the white house shrinking, florida's looking like a must-win for romney. but today, his runningmate, ckman paul ryan, focused on new hampshire, with four electoral votes. but ryan said that could be a difference in the race that will come to a handful of states. >> thank you, granite staters, for sending mitt romney to the white house and barack obama back to chicago. [cheering] >> reporter: th